Invocation
by luvsanime02
Summary: Duo meets a stranger that he instantly connects with, but the next time they meet, there's something very wrong with the guy. Supernaturally wrong, even.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Gundam Wing, and am making no profit off of this fic.

 **AN:** This fic is for Clara, who requested a 2x3 horror story. Enjoy!

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 **Invocation** by luvsanime02

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Chapter 1

Duo's not really trying for the angsty image here. He's just tired, but also too wired to sleep at the same time, and so he's walking around late at night.

Yeah, okay, it's a pretty stupid thing to do. Duo's not exactly a big guy. Sure, he can hold his own in a fight, but if he ran into someone with a gun, or a group of guys, he'd be screwed. Still, Duo can't just lie in bed again staring up at the ceiling for hours, waiting in vain to fall asleep.

So, the thing is, he's walking around at night. It's not too cold, but he should have worn something other than the old t-shirt that he had on while in bed. At least he pulled a pair of sweatpants on over his boxers before he left, but he's still dressed too lightly for the night air, his hair is a mess, and he's got his hands shoved into his pockets to keep them warm. In short, he looks like an angsty teenager brooding over his sad lot in life, not a man in his late twenties who has a love-hate relationship with insomnia.

Slowly, Duo makes his way towards a small playground about a mile from his apartment. He's not really aiming for that place in particular, but since he knows it's close by, he figures there's nothing wrong with adding to his image by sitting on a swing and gazing soulfully at the stars for a while.

Except, when he gets there, someone else is already at the playground. Duo really hopes it's not some depressed teenager, but when he gets close enough to make out details, he sees that the person is a guy who looks to be around his age. In fact, when the guy looks up at his approach, Duo's pleasantly surprised by his dark green eyes and beautiful features.

Duo casually sits down on the seat beside the attractive guy, nods, and then tilts his head back. There are some light clouds above, but the stars are out and bright. It's really nice.

They sit together in silence for a while, Duo and the stranger, until finally a soft voice interrupts his thoughts. "Do you believe in God?" the guy asks.

Duo struggles not to sigh. He figures that's a fair question, really, on a quiet night like this. It's not the guy's fault that talking about religion annoys Duo. "Not really," he answers, shrugging. He doesn't know why, could easily leave his answer there, but Duo finds himself elaborating. "I think I believe in something being out there, though. There's no way people are getting screwed over this much just through sheer luck."

A very pleasant and soft laugh comes from beside him, and Duo looks over. Damn, but this guy really is gorgeous. The moonlight is filtering through his hair and over his cheekbones, and he looks like he belongs in a damn painting. The smile on his face is slightly crooked and cute as hell.

"I don't. My sister complains that I don't believe in anything."

Huh. Duo can deal with that. At least their theological discussion seems to be at an end, which makes Duo happy. "Just the one sibling?" he asks. He's not sure why he's prying into this stranger's life, but the guy mentioned having a sister first. Besides, he's curious, and he's hoping that talking to this guy will help keep his mind off of his own problems.

The guy nods, still looking upwards. "Yes, one older sister. She's my best friend, and I love her to pieces, but sometimes she makes me want to jump in front of a bus."

Duo snorts in laughter, even though he shouldn't have found that so funny. The guy grins at him briefly, sharing in the joke. At least, Duo hopes it was a joke.

"I'd say I can relate, but I'm an only child," Duo admits, shaking his head. "My parents dropped me off at an orphanage when I was a baby, and the priest there raised me."

Clearly, that surprises the guy. "But you don't believe in God?" he asks. He sounds surprised, which Duo can't blame him for. He doesn't tell the guy that Duo's also currently in training to become a priest. No need to make the guy fall off of his swing laughing at the irony or something. It's not that Duo's absolutely sure he doesn't believe in God so much as he's sure that, even if God does exist, Duo hates him.

"It's complicated," he quips, earning another laugh.

They sit there together in a comfortable silence and idly swing back and forth for a little bit longer, but eventually, Duo starts to feel cold. He stifles a sigh and gets up from the seat, stretching his back out. "Well, I'm off."

The swing next to him stops, and he looks over to see the guy giving me a considering look. "Maybe I should walk you home."

Duo takes a moment to just blink at him, and then his lips quirk up in a grin. "Well, it is late. I might like an escort back to my place so no one tries to mug me or something. You offering?"

The guy unfolds from the swing and stands up, and wow, his legs go on forever. Duo's seriously considering that he might be flirting with a male model here. "Yeah," the guy responds, smirking. "Wouldn't want you to get roughed up on your way home."

They fall into step beside each other, and start walking back the way Duo came. They walk a block or two with Duo trying really hard to pretend he's not shivering lightly before the guy abruptly stops walking. Duo stops too, about to speak up and say that it's fine, the guy can change his mind, and that Duo understands they're being really reckless by doing this.

Then his mouth goes dry and he forgets what he was going to say when the guy pulls his sweatshirt up over his head. He's wearing a long turtleneck underneath it, and the bottom gets dragged halfway up his stomach when he pulls the sweatshirt off.

"Here," he says, holding the sweatshirt out to Duo.

Feeling dazed, both from the kindness and from the amazing view of those abs before they disappeared under a shirt again, Duo numbly takes the clothing. It's warm from the guy's body heat, and Duo tries not to be too obvious about how awesome it feels when he pulls it on. It's loose on his lighter frame, and very comfy. So much that the guy might not get his sweatshirt back, actually.

"Thanks," Duo says, letting the sudden warmth relax him. He stops hunching his shoulder, and puts his hands in the big pocket of the sweatshirt. It's seriously about the comfiest article of clothing he's ever worn, and it smells like cinnamon.

"Couldn't have you getting pneumonia or something," the guy says, nodding, and then they start walking again.

Once they get back to Duo's apartment building, he isn't sure what to say or do. While he's had casual relationships before, there's something about meeting a stranger in the middle of the night and inviting them back to your apartment that is probably a pretty stupid idea.

For some reason, though, Duo's not worried. Those green eyes are fixed on him, patiently waiting, and all Duo can think is that he definitely doesn't want the guy to leave just yet. "You should come up," he says, before he loses his nerve.

That gets him a brief smirk in response, and then the guy's stepping forward and bringing his hands up to cup Duo's face. He leans down, slow enough to give Duo time to object if he wants, and then he's kissing him.

What starts out chaste quickly evolves into something much messier. Before long, Duo's hands are around the guy's waist, his fingers shoved into the guy's back pockets so he can fondle his ass. The guy has one hand in Duo's hair, and the other wrapped around his shoulders, and Duo never wants to come up for air.

Eventually, though, they both need to breathe, and they lean their foreheads together. Suddenly, Duo's not hesitant at all. "Want to come up?" he asks again, though he's already sure of the answer.

Soft fingers run over his neck and cup his face once more, and then the guy leans forward to lightly kiss Duo again. "Yes," he answers after, his voice soft but sure.

They stumble up the steps and into his apartment, Duo barely remembering to lock the door behind them. Clothes disappear as they back up through his hallway and into his bedroom, falling sideways onto the bed in a tangle of limbs. Duo's hands can't stop running over the lightly freckled smooth skin and wiry muscles shifting underneath his touch.

There are hands running through his hair and then caressing down his back, and a wet mouth moving up his neck. Duo needs this. He doesn't understand the sudden urgency he feels, but it's there, and he hopes that the other guy feels it too. They roll over, completely wrapped around each other, and Duo forgets about everything else except this moment…

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When Duo wakes up, it's midmorning already. He lifts himself up onto his elbows, squints into the light, and only then notices that he's alone in the bed.

He's not surprised, really. Duo yawns and stretches, and forces himself to get out of bed. After a quick visit to the bathroom, he walks around his apartment quickly just to make sure, but yes, he's alone.

Duo can't blame the guy for leaving, though Duo is disappointed that he didn't leave behind his phone number, or even his name. Crap, did Duo really sleep with a guy without even exchanging names first? He should feel some shame about that, right? Somehow, though, Duo can't regret what happened last night.

When he finally walks back into his bedroom to put some clothes on, Duo smiles. The sweatshirt is draped over the top of his dresser. Looks like the guy left behind something for him, after all. Duo can be content with that.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Duo's in the supermarket late one night when he sees the guy again. At first, he's not sure what to do. Duo didn't actually expect to ever run into the guy again. Guess this is what he gets for having a sudden craving for Lucky Charms at 11 o'clock at night.

What's the protocol for running into a guy you had a one-night stand with a few days ago? Duo's not sure, but he's not exactly going to hide in the cereal aisle while the guy buys his groceries and leaves. Mentally bracing himself for some awkwardness - because while Duo wouldn't mind getting to know the guy better, leaving before he woke up was a pretty clear message - Duo casually walks down the aisle, heading in the guy's direction.

"Hey," he says, when the guy looks in his direction.

Instead of a greeting in response, or at the very least, some form of acknowledgement, those green eyes pass over Duo coldly, and then the guy walks past him. For a moment, the shock of being flat-out ignored freezes Duo in place, although it's quickly replaced by anger.

Okay, he can understand not wanting to get into a big discussion about what happened, but completely ignoring Duo like he doesn't even exist? That's a level of rude that Duo isn't going to just accept.

Duo spins around. "Hey!" he yells at the guy's back.

No response again. Fuming, Duo stalks forward and grabs the guy by the upper arm, stopping him from walking any further. He opens his mouth, furious and hurt by the brush-off, but a strange sound makes him pause. The guy's arm is jerked quickly out of his grasp, but not before Duo sees the skin starting to smoke and blister.

What the fuck?

Now Duo's frozen in place for another reason entirely. He couldn't have just seen that happen. Yet, somehow, when he looks again at the guy's arm, the scorched flesh doesn't miraculously heal itself. Where Duo's fingers had touched, the skin is now blistered and broken.

"Oh fuck," he whispers. Duo doesn't know what else to say. He finally manages to tear his eyes away from the guy's arm, and now that he's looking more closely, Duo sees that there are other burns too; one around his wrist, and the edge of one above the collar of his shirt on the back of his neck.

Blank green eyes stare at him for a minute in silence, and Duo swears that he feels all the hairs on his body stand up straight. Something is not right. Something is seriously not right with this guy. He still hasn't said anything, hasn't reacted to Duo or to his arm being injured at all.

"Are you okay?" Duo asks, even though the guy's clearly not. "Seriously," he continues quickly, "you're injured. You need to get to a hospital or something."

Those marks. Has the guy been attacked? But that doesn't explain what just happened when Duo touched him. Is it some kind of skin condition? Duo would almost buy that, except the guy was fine the other day. His skin had been lightly freckled but unbroken, long and lean and beautiful.

Duo can't see anything of that guy in the one before him now, and it honestly scares him. Still, the guy doesn't speak, but his gaze isn't staring blindly into the distance anymore. No, his sharp eyes are on Duo, but not his face. When Duo follows that gaze, he sees what's caught the guy's attention. It's the cross hanging around Duo's neck.

Feeling somehow even more unsettled than before, Duo slowly raises his eyes back up to double-check. Yeah, the guy's still staring at Duo's necklace like it's the center of his whole world. Slowly, Duo reaches up to grab a hold of the chain, watching the guy's eyes following every movement of the dangling necklace. He carefully pulls the top of his shirt open and slips the chain inside, hiding it from view.

For just a second, the guy continues staring at where the cross used to be visible, and then his gaze goes distant again. Duo swallows, inexplicably finding it easier to breathe now that the guy has stopped paying so close attention to him again.

That night, the guy had delicately brushed his fingers over the cross before dismissing it altogether to rain kisses down Duo's chest. Now, Duo has the feeling that he would destroy the necklace if he could. It's extremely disconcerting. Everything about this is.

After a full minute spent in silence, the guy turns around to walk away. Duo's torn. On the one hand, he doesn't want the guy to just up and leave. He obviously needs help. On the other, Duo really doesn't know what in the hell is going on, or what he can possibly do to help. There's some instinct in Duo that is screaming out for him to run away.

"What's your name?" he asks, his voice a whisper so quiet that he's sure the guy doesn't hear him.

But he must, because he stops for just a second. Duo braces himself for the guy to turn back around and face him, but instead, he continues to look away from Duo.

 _"Orthon_ _._ _"_

The name sounds like it's being whispered in his ear, a secret carried straight to Duo without coming from the guy's lips. Something in Duo's soul shivers and curls up to hide from the horrible sound.

He stays still and silent, and carefully watches as the guy finally leaves the store. Somehow, Duo's not surprised that he didn't buy any food.

Something's changed. Between three nights ago and tonight, something's definitely happened to that guy. Duo doesn't know exactly what, and honestly doesn't want to speculate, but he knows somehow that the guy needs help as fast as possible, and not from a doctor. Shakily, Duo runs his fingers through his hair. His heart is beating too fast, and he can't force himself to calm down.

He needs to talk to the only person he can think of right now who will believe him, and who might also be able to help. Only halfway believing that what just happened was real, he carefully leaves the store, no longer craving sugary cereals or being at all hungry anymore.

Duo needs to speak with Father Maxwell, the priest who raised him.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Father Maxwell promises to look into the name, and after he listens to Duo's description of what happened, agrees that something's very wrong. They're both thinking the same thing, though neither of them is willing yet to say what that is out loud. It almost seems too ridiculous, a dream and not reality, except that Duo can't forget the guy's skin burning from his touch.

He hears that strange name being whispered in his dreams and shivers in his sleep, waking up freezing cold no matter how many blankets he's using.

"Names hold great power," Father Maxwell says, when Duo tells him about the reason for his recent lack of sleep. "To know someone's name is to define them, to hold the weight of their identity in your mouth, to influence them by speaking their name out loud. It's a very grave matter that you asked for its name, Duo. I wish that you had not."

Which, yeah, Duo wishes that he hadn't, either. Especially since he keeps waking up feeling like an icicle, expecting to see those glazed green eyes staring back at him in the dark. It's a very unsettling feeling, like someone watching you from the shadows; you know they're there, but you can't see them.

Still, his immediate problem is that Duo's positive that's not the _guy's_ name. Since Duo doesn't know who he is, his chances of running into that guy again are pretty slim. Sure, he could walk to that playground every night, but somehow, Duo doesn't think that the guy will show up there anymore. He mentions this problem to Father Maxwell, who admits that he's also lost as to how to go about finding him.

"You didn't get any name?" he asks Duo again.

Duo shakes his head, worried. All he has is a sweatshirt, and there's no logo or name on it, just the brand name. He knows that the guy owns a dark green sweatshirt and is fantastic in bed, and that's about it.

Well, no, that's not it. He also knows that the guy is nice and funny, and someone Duo had felt a deep connection with, even though they'd just met. Duo swallows around the lump that rises up in his throat remembering that night. It'd been perfect, and now it feels like a dream that faded in the morning light.

Father Maxwell checks with some of the homeless shelters in the area, but doesn't hear back about anyone matching Duo's description. It's over a week later, and Duo's frankly feeling hopeless and desperate, when they get a break from the least likely source.

Duo's helping out in the church while Father Maxwell listens to confessions when a woman around his age walks in. She's tall and athletic, and really very pretty with her grey eyes and curly red hair. She's also been crying recently, if her wet cheeks and red-rimmed eyes are anything to go by. Her nose is red from the cold, and she has the haunted look of someone who's slept very little for at least the last couple of days.

He wonders if he should walk up to her and ask what's wrong, but she marches straight over to the confessional with her head held high and walks inside. Shrugging off the strange urge he feels to talk with her, Duo goes about his duties.

It's almost half an hour before she comes back out, looking pale, and Duo's startled when her eyes search him out and she starts walking quickly in his direction. Duo stops and waits, though he has no idea what she could want with him. He just knows that he's glad she's coming over, although he doesn't know why. It's a strange feeling.

Not as strange as her coming to a stop just in front of him and saying, "You're trying to help Trowa?"

Duo blinks. "Who?" he asks hesitantly. He doesn't know anyone by that name, and can't remember seeing this woman before.

She only shakes her head impatiently. "Trowa, my brother." At his continuing look of incomprehension, she digs into her coat pocket and pulls out her phone. After a few seconds of looking for something, she turns it around so that he can see the screen.

All of the breath in his lungs leaves at once. He'd recognize that face anywhere. It's him. "Oh my god," Duo whispers, feeling faint, before he reaches out and carefully takes the phone from her. "It's him."

The woman nods, and for just a moment, her shoulders start trembling and her face scrunches up like she's about to cry again before she visibly stops herself. "That's my brother, Trowa. I'm Cathy Bloom."

Duo nods, though his eyes keep staring down at the screen. It's a photo of the two of them, brother and sister, dressed up really fancy and making the most ridiculous faces. "Yeah," he says, and then Duo clears his throat and makes himself hold out the phone for her to take back. "Yes, I want to help him. I didn't- I didn't know his name, though, or how to get a hold of him."

Father Maxwell walks over to them, his face solemn. "We're very glad to meet you, young Catherine. Please, let's talk more in the back about your brother."

She must have said something during confession that clicked with Father Maxwell, and then he asked her for more details. Duo's very grateful for that. The three of them walk into an office and sit down, all three of them looking at each other warily before Cathy tilts her chin up and takes a deep breath.

"I don't know exactly what's wrong," she says, her voice only a little shaky, "but I can tell you it started almost two weeks ago."

Duo nods. That makes sense to him. "I met Trowa almost two weeks ago, and he seemed fine. Not like… how he was when I saw him three days after that at a supermarket."

Cathy nods. "I know," she says. She sounds miserable, and Duo feels so much sympathy for her. This has to be even more horrible for her than for him. "One day, he was fine. But the next morning, he wouldn't eat, or speak, or even acknowledge me. When I tried to touch him…"

She trails off, but Duo knows what she means. He nods. "The same thing happened to me, too," he admits softly.

Cathy puts her head in her hands. "I just want to know what's wrong with my brother," she whispers. "He needs help."

Father Maxwell hesitates, and then leans forward. "You say that you don't know what's wrong with him, but I think you must know something. Otherwise, your brother would be at a hospital, and you wouldn't be here seeking answers in a church."

True. She nods, reluctantly agreeing. "Yes." Shakily, she reaches into her coat and pulls something out. Duo knows what he's going to see even before the crucifix comes into view.

"You're catholic," he says, stating the obvious. "He didn't react well to your necklace."

Cathy snorts, putting the crucifix away again. "Not unless you count pushing me down a flight of stairs as normal."

Duo's eyes go wide. Shit. Somehow, Duo can't imagine the guy he met that night hurting anyone, let alone someone he loved.

"Has he spoken to you at all?" Father Maxwell asks after a minute of silence, his voice calm but very quiet. He obviously already knows what her response is going to be, and doesn't look surprised when she shakes her head. "Eaten?" A pause, and then Cathy shakes her head again.

Finally, Father Maxwell sighs and leans back in his chair. "I'm afraid that we all know what's happened to your brother. When Duo asked for his name, he received a different one than Trowa. One that does not belong to a human."

This time, Cathy can't seem to fight the tears. Duo grabs a box of tissues from the desk and passes them to her. She clenches her hands around the box. "Are you telling me that my brother's possessed?" She obviously means for her question to sound derisive, but the shaking in her voice and the fear in her eyes tells Duo that she believes. She just wishes that it wasn't true.

Duo can relate. He can't quite believe it either, but he also knows somehow that this isn't a hoax.

"I'll need to meet with him to be sure," Father Maxwell says. "I believe that he is, though, yes."


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Cathy starts crying harder at Father Maxwell's statement, and Duo doesn't blame her. He has to fight down his own sadness and panic. "So you know who it is?" she asks, after a minute. "Who's hurting my brother?"

Duo shivers before he can control the reaction. He won't say the name out loud. Isn't even sure that he can produce those sounds, and he has no interest in trying. That name isn't meant to be spoken by a human tongue. When he'd told Father Maxwell about it, Duo had written the name down, taking his best guess on how to spell it and his hand shaking the whole time.

Father Maxwell stands up and grabs his laptop, then moves over to a couch in the corner of the room and sits down on it, gesturing for Cathy to join him. She hesitates, but eventually stands up and walks over so that they can sit side-by-side and both look at the computer screen. Duo stays where he is. He doesn't want to see whatever Father Maxwell's about to show her.

"This is the demon," Father Maxwell says, opening up the computer and handing it over to Cathy. He waits for her to read the information present, and Duo watches both of their faces, wary of whatever they're looking at.

Cathy bites her bottom lip hard, her eyes flicking back and forth as she reads. Her lips mouth a name, and Duo closes his eyes tight, knowing that it's the right one without reading it himself. He waits a minute before opening them again, and is relieved that she's already closing the laptop shut.

"I didn't want to believe it," she says. "I thought about coming here earlier, but I just couldn't bring myself to admit it. Trowa's not even religious." Father Maxwell gently takes the laptop from her loose grip. "What do I do?" she asks at last, turning to look at Father Maxwell imploringly. "How do I help him?"

He lays a hand over one of hers and squeezes it. "You've done exactly what you should have. You asked for help from the church. Now you just need to have faith."

Faith. Duo hasn't had faith in anything or anyone in a very long time. No, perhaps that's not quite true. He has faith in Father Maxwell, the man who took him in when he was a child living on the streets and gave him a home. The man who is looking at Cathy with kind but firm eyes, and is willing to help her save her brother.

"First," Father Maxwell says, "I need to make some calls. I need advice on how to deal with this situation. Then, with your permission, I'd like to meet your brother."

Cathy nods, and Father Maxwell squeezes her hand one more time before he moves back over to the desk and sits down. "The two of you might be more comfortable waiting upstairs," he says, already picking up the phone. "These calls are likely to take some time."

Duo's not surprised, and he nods. "Come on," he says, gesturing towards the door. "We live upstairs." Well, Duo used to, and Father Maxwell still does. Either way, Cathy nods and follows him out of the room.

They're both pretty quiet as they pass through the church, and then another door that leads to some stairs. In another moment, they're in the kitchen, and Duo nods towards the stove. "Tea? Or coffee?" He wants something warm, and thinks Cathy could use one too.

"Coffee, please," she says, sitting down at the table. "I'm a little tired today."

More like she's been worried sick over her brother and not sleeping, which Duo can relate to. He doesn't say that, though, just nods and fills the coffee pot, sitting down opposite her as they wait for it to brew.

"You okay?" he asks, despite knowing well enough that she's not.

Cathy laughs, dry and bitter. "Oh sure, I'm fine. Not like I'm the one possessed or anything."

Duo winces. "No, but you said you got pushed down a flight of stairs," he points out. "You didn't get hurt from that?" She could have died if she'd landed wrong.

Cathy wraps her arms around her shoulders and hunches forward, no doubt reliving what happened. "Not really," she says. "A couple bruises, but that's it." She hesitates, and then looks him in the eyes, her expression desperate. "My brother didn't do that, though. Trowa just wouldn't."

She seems desperate for him to believe her, and maybe Duo might be more skeptical if he'd never met Trowa before. Instead, he nods in agreement. "I know."

Cathy relaxes at that and sits up again, eyeing him curiously. "You met Trowa, right? What happened?"

Duo doesn't really want to tell her _everything_ that happened that night, but he can divulge the rest. "I was out walking and found him at this playground, sitting on a swing." Cathy smiles briefly. It's the first happy expression he's seen on her face yet. "We talked for a bit, and then he walked me home."

He stops there, but he knows that she understands what he's not saying when one of her eyebrows shoots up in surprise. "Oh." Luckily, she doesn't seem offended or angry. "That's a little surprising, really. Trowa doesn't connect with people easily."

There's enough in the pot now for Duo to pour them both a cup, so he gets up to do that. "Me either," he admits. "You want sugar or anything?"

"Sugar and milk, yeah, thanks," Cathy says. She's quiet until he turns back around, and he sees that she's watching him thoughtfully. "And then the next time you saw him, he was already…"

She doesn't continue, but she doesn't need to. They both know what she means. "Yeah," he says, setting her coffee down in front of her and retaking his seat.

Cathy stirs the spoon in her cup slowly. "How'd you know?" she asks. "That he wasn't just… different from what you thought at first?"

Duo blows on his coffee, though it's still too hot to drink. "Because he was completely different from the guy I'd first met. That guy was great, but the one I met three days later… It was obvious that there was something really wrong with him, and then I touched his arm."

He doesn't say anything more. Cathy winces. "That terrified me," she says. "More than him not talking."

Duo nods. He reaches up and pulls out his necklace from his shirt, showing her the cross. "He wouldn't stop staring at this."

They're quiet again after that, slowly sipping their coffee. There's nothing more to say. Duo doesn't know how much later it is when Father Maxwell finally comes upstairs. Duo offers him some coffee, but he shakes his head. He usually stays away from caffeine unless it's first thing in the morning anymore, Duo knows.

Cathy sits up earnestly. Before she can ask, Father Maxwell nods at her. "I'm ready to meet your brother now, if you're fine with that."

She bites her lower lip, but nods back. "Please. If you can help my brother, please do it."

"We can only try," Father Maxwell says. After gathering up their mugs and grabbing their coats, they all walk back down the stairs and through the church. Cathy says a prayer just before they leave, grabbing her crucifix and holding it against her lips.

All they can do now is try to save her brother's soul. Duo has a horrible feeling about all of this, though. He's glad that Father Maxwell still seems calm, because Duo's dreading this meeting. This seems like the sort of situation where someone needs to have a lot of faith in God and his power in order to prevail.

Duo still doesn't even believe in God. Not really.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

The last thing Duo expects when they get there is to be told to wait in the living room with Cathy. He wants to protest, but his throat closes up at the unexpectedly gentle look in Father Maxwell's eyes.

"Why?" he asks instead. "I want to see him."

Not really. Duo does want to see Trowa again, but not while he's possessed. Even the thought of seeing that demon again makes him break out in a cold sweat. He'd still been prepared to join Father Maxwell and help him deal with the situation. Duo knows nothing personally about actual possessions, but he doesn't think it sounds safe to be alone in the room with a demon.

Father Maxwell shakes his head, still looking at him softly. "Duo, you shouldn't be there." He walks over and puts a comforting hand on Duo's shoulder. "Only those with complete faith in God can exorcise a demon."

Duo winces and looks down, feeling shame rush through him. He's never kept his questions about religion and God a secret, would never lie to Father Maxwell about that, but he wishes that he did believe, if only for the old man's sake. This is the selfless man who took him in when he didn't have to, and raised him the best that he could. Duo's always felt awful that he couldn't at least return the man's kindness and generosity by sharing in his faith.

"It's not a sin to question one's place in life," Father Maxwell reassures him, no doubt noticing, and even expecting, Duo's shame. "You'll find your faith in your own time, Duo. Still, I wouldn't want anything to happen to you today."

Duo nods, feeling as sheltered as he never was during his childhood. He lifts his head and smiles. "Give him Hell."

Cathy snorts out a laugh, clearly not expecting Duo's brand of humor, while Father Maxwell only chuckles, all too-used to it by now. "I think I will," he agrees mildly, before he turns to Cathy. "You should stay here too."

She protests much more than Duo did. "I'm not leaving my little brother to that demon!" she says, practically hissing in fury. "I want to help!"

"I can understand that," Father Maxwell replies, "but it already knows you, and has hurt you before." He nods in Duo's direction. "That's the other reason why I think it would be a poor idea for Duo to help me confront the demon. Once a demon knows you, it can influence you easier. That's not safe for either of you."

Cathy shakes her head, looking desperate and determined. "I don't care about myself," she insists urgently. "If I can help Trowa, then I'll risk it."

Father Maxwell smiles, but not in agreement. "It will not help Trowa if the demon attacks you as well."

At that truth, Cathy's expression falls. "I just want to make sure he's safe."

Duo sighs. "Yeah," he agrees. He walks over to the couch and sits down. "So stay down here with me, and we'll both let Father Maxwell handle it."

Cathy bites her lip briefly, but nods. "Thank you," she says, to both of them, before she sits on the edge of a chair.

Father Maxwell nods at both of them. "Do not enter the room," he warns them. They both nod, and watch anxiously as he climbs the stairs and walks out of sight.

As much as Duo wants to talk just to fill in the awkward silence, he's almost afraid of interrupting something upstairs. Cathy clearly agrees, because her head is tilted up as though she can see what's happening through the ceiling if she wishes for it hard enough. Both of them are straining to hear anything.

At first, there's nothing. Then comes a loud crash that causes Duo to jump. Cathy shares a worried glance with him, but neither of them moves. Duo can tell how much it's killing her to stay put, and admires her strength. There's some muttering, though Duo can't tell if it's Father Maxwell or the demon, and then quiet again.

The distinct sound of glass shattering makes them both freeze. Cathy looks horrified. "There's nothing glass in that room," she whispers.

Duo's frozen for another moment, and then he's moving, running up the stairs as fast as he can, Cathy half a step behind him. They burst into the room to see Trowa trashing on the bed. Cathy lets out a half-stifled scream of horror when she sees him. His torso is bare, and it's covered in burns and lesions, some of which look like they're shifting under his skin. His head is thrown back, and a hissing sound is coming from his throat.

Duo's attention is quickly directed to the window. The glass is shattered. Father Maxwell isn't in the room.

"Trowa?" Cathy asks, her voice trembling. Duo can't find his voice. He can't bring himself to look away from the window.

The hissing stops, and then a low muttering fills the room. Duo doesn't recognize the language. Cathy starts to move forward, and Duo breaks out of his trance to quickly grab her arm. She doesn't protest, but her eyes don't leave her brother. When Duo pulls her out of the room, he hears low laughter coming from the bed. It's not a human laugh.

The door slams shut behind them, and Duo shudders. He allows himself time to take one deep breath, then another, and then he runs back down the stairs. Once he's outside, Duo picks up his speed until he comes around the corner of the house.

Even though he already knows what he's going to see, the sight of Father Maxwell lying crumpled on the ground still causes his heart to break. Duo collapses to his knees beside his adoptive father, trying desperately not to cry, his hand trembling as he reaches out to close the man's blank eyes. He ignores the pool of blood spreading rapidly around them both and soaking through his pants.

Two hands brace his trembling shoulders, and then Cathy pulls Duo's body back against her, wrapping her arms around his neck. "I'm so sorry," she says into his ear.

Duo turns his face into Cathy's neck, finally allowing the tears to fall where no one can see them.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

Duo doesn't know what to do. They're sitting inside the house now, and Cathy's made him change into some sweatpants, putting his clothes in the wash to hopefully get the blood out. Duo's stopped crying, but he can't stop shaking. Cathy's quiet in the seat next to him, looking horribly sad.

The house is silent, except for the occasional thump from upstairs. Every time she hears a noise, Cathy's eyes flick upwards, but she hasn't said anything. Duo wants to tell her that everything will be fine, but he's pretty sure that would be a damn big lie.

He flinches at the next big crash. One of Cathy's hands runs up and down his arm soothingly. Eventually, he looks over to see her crying silently. It makes him feel awful. Her brother's up there, and he still needs help, but all Duo can do is sit here and picture Father Maxwell lying broken and twisted on the ground.

Still, Duo forces himself to take deep breaths. He almost starts crying again, the pain in his heart is so crushing, but he inhales and exhales until his hands are steady. He can fall apart later. Well, again. Right now, he should focus on Cathy.

"I'm not sure what to do," he admits.

Cathy takes back her hand to wipe angrily at her eyes. "We have to do something, though. We can't just leave Trowa alone."

Trowa's not the problem; it's the demon possessing him. Just thinking about it makes Duo furious, and he clenches his fists. It killed his father, and now there's a very large part of Duo that wants revenge for that. The rest of him is deathly afraid, though.

Father Maxwell was devoutly religious. He believed. He had so much faith in God, and in humanity, and he was still killed by that demon. What chance does Duo have against it?

Yet, what choice does he have? Duo remembers Trowa that one night they had together. More than the sex, he remembers them sitting together on those swings, gazing up at the stars, and the instant connection he'd felt with the other man. He remembers the sweatshirt that's still in his closet being offered to him with no expectations or demands, but simply because he was cold and Trowa wanted him to feel better.

Trowa has a wonderful soul, Duo knows. He's not sure if he believes in God, but he does believe in someone's soul, and in creatures that can possess someone and rot them from the inside, until there's nothing left. Duo wants to see those bright green eyes look at him again, and to know that the person behind them is full of warmth and gentleness and life.

He has to try, doesn't he? No matter what happens to him.

Duo turns to Cathy, and she must see the conviction in his expression because her shoulders straighten up and she lifts her head to look back at him squarely. "What do you want me to do?" she asks.

Almost, Duo wants to tell her to stay down here. He doesn't want her hurt, too. Trowa would never forgive himself for seriously hurting his sister, Duo knows. But he doesn't say anything like that. For one, he can tell from the stubborn firmness in her expression that it would be pointless. Cathy's not going to let him walk back up those stairs alone, and Duo can't blame her.

For another, there's the very real worry that Duo might desperately need Cathy there to help with Trowa. She believes where he doesn't, and even more, she knows Trowa and loves him deeply. Duo is worried about her being hurt, but he's even less sure about being able to exorcise the demon by himself.

Really, they're both in a lot of danger. They're idiots for going back up there. Duo returns Cathy's look. "Do you have a Bible?" he asks, and makes sure that his voice is firm.

She nods. "In my room." That settled, there's nothing for them to do but go back upstairs. Cathy reaches for his hand, Duo holds onto her, and then they're moving. They march up the stairs, every step feeling like they're walking closer to their deaths. The air gets colder and colder the higher they walk, and when they reach the landing, Duo can see the exhale of their breaths in the air.

Cathy leads him into her room, takes a well-worn copy of the Bible from on top of her nightstand, and passes it to Duo. He takes it with his free hand, and then they're back in the hallway and facing the door to Trowa's room together.

The thumping has stopped. This doesn't bring him any comfort, and a glance at Cathy tells him that she feels the same. She reaches into her shirt with the hand not holding onto his and pulls out her crucifix so that it shines against her chest. Duo does the same with his own cross, and feels another stab of sorrow as he cradles it in his hand for a moment. It was a gift years ago from Father Maxwell.

"God be with us," Cathy whispers.

"God doesn't really do it for me," Duo admits softly. "I think I'd rather have the Ghostbusters."

Cathy lets out a very inappropriate but much-needed giggle, and then Duo reaches for the knob and twists. It clicks open, but he can't quite bring himself to push against the door. Cathy does it for him, and then they both walk into the room.

The demon is scratching Trowa's arms, creating long and bloody streaks. There's blood around his lips too, and Duo's sickened by the knowledge that the demon's been drinking Trowa's blood.

"Oh God," Cathy says, her voice breaking on the last syllable. The demon isn't paying them any attention at the moment, but Duo knows that's going to change very quickly. All of the furniture in the room is pushed back against the walls or on its sides, like that big dresser. He tries not to look too closely at the window, keeping his eyes on the demon.

Duo's pretty sure it's watching them back, even if it's pretending not to. It's hard to breathe in the room, it's so cold, and he wants to throw up from terror. What do they do now?

"What do we do?" Cathy whispers, echoing his thoughts.

Duo takes another deep breath, and the cold air burns his lungs on the way down to his lungs. "You're going to have to hold him down," he admits, "while I read him the Rites."

Cathy shivers. "I can do that," she says firmly. Duo feels another rush of admiration for her. She's just as terrified as he is, but she's not running away.

"You might have to hurt him," Duo warns her.

She nods. "I know."

Duo lets go of her hand and starts flipping through the Bible, trying to keep one eye on the demon. It's stopped hurting Trowa, but that just means its full attention is on the two of them.

"Duo?" Cathy asks. She's clutching her crucifix with both hands.

"Move fast," he says in answer. "Now."

Duo doesn't know if he could have forced himself to move any closer to the bed, but Cathy leaps across the distance, jumping onto Trowa's body and straddling his torso, pinning his shoulders down firmly. The demon starts hissing again, spitting curses at her in a tongue that Duo doesn't know, but that burns his ears to hear. Cathy grits her teeth, and is obviously using all of her weight to keep her brother's body trapped under her.

The bed itself starts moving across the room, but Duo is standing out of the way. Clearly, the demon is trying to throw Cathy away from it, but her crucifix is dangling down right in its face. She's whispering softly under her breath, and while Duo can't hear her words over the demon's cursing, he can tell that she's praying. Both the necklace and her words are causing the demon possessing Trowa terrible pain, but she's still not hesitating.

Duo has to steady his own heart. He looks down at the words he needs, and begins.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

Somehow, through lips numb from both fear and cold, Duo starts reciting the Rites of Exorcism. He repeats the words over and over. The demon is shrieking so loud that Duo can't even hear himself over the horrible sound, but he doesn't stop speaking, desperately hoping that he can drive the demon out of Trowa's body.

It's not working, though, Duo can tell. He's causing the demon some pain, but it's not leaving Trowa. Maybe it's Duo's own fault that the exorcism is failing because of the continuous doubt in his mind that something as simple as repeating words from the Bible could actually influence reality, or maybe it would never have worked in the first place, no matter who tried. Duo doesn't know.

Cathy is still pinning Trowa to the bed. Where her hands are holding onto his bare skin, smoke is rising. Duo can see Trowa's skin blistering around her hands, but she isn't letting go.

He doesn't know what else to do, but he can't keep on doing this when it's useless. Maybe Father Maxwell could have exorcised the demon using his religion and faith as a shield, but Duo just doesn't believe enough.

The bed shatters beneath them, and Cathy screams as they fall to the floor. The next second, she's being thrown across the room and into a wall. Duo drops the Bible and runs over to her, making sure that she's okay. She's completely unconscious.

When he looks over, the demon is starting to crawl up the wall. Duo has to do something, anything. Now.

Without letting himself second-guess the idea, Duo yells out the demon's name the best that he can pronounce it. "Orthon, stop!"

The demon stops in its tracks. It splits Trowa's lips open in a gruesome grin, chapped lips stretching too wide and dripping more blood. Duo's so scared that his heart skips a beat. Before he can do anything else, or even think to brace himself, the demon is flying at him and tackling him to the floor. Hands close around Duo's throat and start choking him.

Duo kicks upwards, but it doesn't seem to affect the demon at all. It laughs in his face and squeezes harder, and now Duo can't take in a breath. His hands are trying desperately to pry those cold fingers from his neck, and he can see that his touch is burning Trowa's skin, but it's not slowing the demon down.

"Orthon," he says again, wheezing out the name between gasps because he doesn't know what else to do. A snarl crosses Trowa's face. Those hands around his neck lift his head up an inch or two, and then smash his skull against the floor.

Father Maxwell was right. Names mean something. The demon's reacting to Duo reciting its name. Spots are blinking in and out of his vision, but Duo grits his teeth and mutters the name again, and again.

He says the name three times, then five, seven, and thirteen. He loses track, but keeps on mouthing the name, even when he runs out of breath to speak. His vision's going dark, but he doesn't stop. There's a voice inside his head screaming at Duo that invoking a demon's name when it's already possessing someone is his dumbest idea ever, but his lips keep on repeatedly mouthing the foul word. "What is it that you desire, human?" it suddenly hisses in his face, releasing him.

Duo starts coughing, his throat burning as he sucks in cold air. "Let him go," he rasps.

Everything's still for a minute, and then suddenly Duo's being thrown across the room. He has just enough time to register that he's falling through the window, and then there's nothing around him but open air. He closes his eyes, not wanting to see the ground coming closer, but then his arm is wrenched suddenly and Duo smacks painfully into the side of the building.

When he looks up, Cathy's holding onto his hand. "Grab onto something!" she shouts at him.

Duo tries to reach up and grab the windowsill, but he's too far away. "I can't," he admits, his voice still hoarse. Cathy's leaning so far out of the window, almost falling over the edge herself, that he can't grab onto her without pulling her out of the window as well. If he twists around too much, she's going to lose her grip on his hand.

He looks down, and it's not too far, not really, but it's far enough that he's probably going to break a leg or something if he drops. Still, his shoulder hurts so badly that Duo's pretty sure it's being pulled out of the socket. It won't hold his weight for much longer. He looks back up to tell Cathy to just let him go when Trowa appears right beside her. He looks haggard, haunted, like he's aged ten years in one week. There's blood all over his face, and burns still covering his torso, but he reaches past Cathy and holds out a hand for Duo to grasp.

Even better, his green eyes are looking back at Duo, alive with worry and confusion. His gaze locks with Duo's and doesn't look away, and Duo reaches up. Trowa's grip is as firm and unrelenting as Cathy's, and between the two siblings, they pull Duo up and back inside through the window.

All three of them end up in a heap on the floor, their limbs tangled together, and Cathy's hugging both of them as hard as she can. Duo's holding back onto them just as tightly. "Thank you," she whispers into Duo's ear, and then she turns to start crying into Trowa's shoulder. "Thank you, thank you, thank you."

Duo looks over at Trowa, and he can tell immediately that the other guy has only a vague memory about what happened. Trowa is looking worriedly between Cathy and Duo, back and forth, and then slowly taking in the damage all around the room. When he catches Duo's eyes again, one side of his mouth quirks up in a tired grin. "You throw one hell of a party."

Duo starts laughing, even though nothing's funny at all, and tries to pretend that he's not crying into Trowa's other shoulder, happy and grief-stricken, and so, so exhausted. He's lost his father, and even now, Duo doesn't want to deal with that truth. He has to get up soon, they all do, but none of them move.

Trowa doesn't ask any of the dozens of questions that must be running through his mind. Instead, he sits quietly on the floor and lets Cathy and Duo cling to him for a long, long time.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

Duo stands silently with Trowa and Cathy on either side of him as he listens to the steady rhythm of the priest reciting the Last Rites to lay Father Maxwell to rest. The irony is not lost on him.

Trowa still doesn't look completely well again. He'll be recovering for a while yet. The burns and bruises are fading slowly, but he also lost muscle mass while he wasn't eating for over a week. The constant nightmares that are plaguing him aren't helping either. While he can't remember exactly what happened during the time that he was possessed, Trowa dreams of being encased in a cold so deep that it freezes his soul, leaving him drifting and helpless.

Cathy's also joined their group of insomniacs. She's confessed to Duo that her nightmares mirror his, memories of the demon screaming and cursing them both. She dreams of her own touch killing her brother, and him dying as the demon laughs in her face.

Duo dreams of Trowa dying, of Cathy being thrown out of the window, of the demon crushing his throat, and of falling and falling and never coming to a stop. He dreams of Father Maxwell forgiving him for not saving his life, and those are the worst ones of all.

Now, Duo blinks back tears and leans slightly to the side, until his shoulder is braced against Trowa's. The service is almost over, and then Duo is going to be forced to endure friends of Father Maxwell coming up to him and offering him condolences. He feels tired just thinking about it, but as long as Trowa and Cathy stand on either side of him, he'll get through it.

He does, though it's hours later before he's finally free to leave, and he's only glad that Cathy drove because Duo's too emotionally numb to try himself. "Sorry that took so long," he says, leaning his head against the car window.

"Don't be silly," Cathy says. "It's good that he was beloved by so many people."

Duo nods, but doesn't say anything more. He knows that Cathy wouldn't have minded waiting even longer. She blames herself for Father Maxwell's death as much as Duo blames himself. Cathy believes that if she hadn't walked into that church and asked him for help, Father Maxwell would still be fine. Duo can't stop thinking that if he'd just insisted on Father Maxwell not being alone with that demon, maybe Duo could have saved him. Even Trowa feels guilty that Duo's father died trying to save him, and that he doesn't remember it happening at all, even though Cathy and Duo have both done their best to try and reassure Trowa that he's not to blame for anything that happened while he was possessed.

Duo barely notices that they're at his apartment building until the car stops moving. He wants to crawl into bed and never come back out again, but he can't. Cathy and Trowa wouldn't let him. He's not surprised that the first thing Cathy does when she enters his apartment is walk to the kitchen and start getting ready to cook something.

He winces, and hopes that she's baking. Cathy's decent when it comes to baking, but a horrible cook. Trowa catches his grimace and snorts under his breath. "I'll take care of it," he promises. "Go take a shower."

Since that's his second wish after sleeping forever, Duo nods and proceeds to take a long, hot shower. He does feel better after, and pulls on comfy sweats and Trowa's old sweatshirt after he dries off. To his relief, when he walks back towards the kitchen, he can smell brownies baking in the oven, and Trowa's apparently ordered Chinese takeout for all of them.

Duo's not sure if he's hungry, but he and Cathy are trying to make a point out of eating regularly so that Trowa follows their example. He's still much too thin, but he's slowly gaining back essential body mass. Duo takes an egg roll, nibbles an edge, and somehow doesn't come back up for air until he's eaten roughly a third of the food on the table.

Eventually, he leans back, full, and busies himself with twirling his chopsticks around in the air while Cathy and Trowa continue to eat their own food at a more normal pace. "I'm quitting the church," he announces into the quiet.

As he knew it would, that makes both of them stop. It's a topic that's come up more than once since everything that happened. Duo watches Cathy bite her lip out of the corner of his eye. "Maybe you shouldn't decide right now," she finally says.

Which is a fair point, but…

Duo sighs. "I don't think I'm going to change my mind," he admits. "I was already thinking it over before- before everything, and now…"

Now, as much as Duo wants to honor his father's memory, he's going to have to do it some other way than following in his footsteps. If there's anything this whole experience has taught Duo, it's that he just doesn't _believe_. Maybe he's not an atheist like Trowa, but Duo still doesn't want to devote his life to something he constantly questions the existence of.

And if there's a bitter voice in the back of his head pointing out that God's never done anything for him, so why should Duo do anything for an indifferent deity, well…

Duo keeps that thought quiet.

Cathy believes. Her faith is stronger than ever, but she doesn't push. She and Trowa share a look, and then continue eating. "Alright, then."

And that's the subject dropped. Duo manages to keep his relief internal. He was expecting Cathy to poke and prod a lot more than that, but Trowa must have talked to her about it sometime earlier. Duo's grateful for their acceptance. It makes him feel better about his decision.

After they're done eating, all three of them burrow themselves into the fort they've built in Duo's living room. Though no one's mentioned it, Cathy and Trowa haven't been back to their house since that day. Duo's pretty sure they're going to sell it, even though they both grew up there. There are just too many bad memories now.

Duo's fine with them both sleeping here with him, all three of them in a tangled pile on the floor. It's comforting to hear them close by, though Duo knows that it's not a healthy arrangement, and that eventually he's going to want to enjoy a separate room with Trowa when he's more recovered. Maybe they'll all move into a bigger apartment together later. For now, though, this is what all three of them want and need.

Duo's wrapped up in a blanket, Cathy on one side of him and Trowa on the other, and even though it's cold outside, it's warm in here. The three of them watch some silly sci-fi movie, and slowly, they all drift off to sleep.

In his dream, a voice whispers in Duo's ear.

" _Orthon._ "

He shivers.


End file.
